The Antecedent And Consequences Of Entrepreneurial Commitment: Modelling Commitment Among Malaysian Entrepreneurs

• Main Author: Tasnim, Rahayu
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: H Social Sciences (General); HB Economic Theory
• Online Access: http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/16768/; http://plh.utem.edu.my/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=96315

The researcher’s interest in the topic of entrepreneurial commitment was stimulated initially by theoretical and practical observations: What makes some entrepreneurs so highly committed to entrepreneurship and how might this sense of commitment be instilled in others? This doctoral thesis puts ‘commitment’ under the microscope, and intends to address the questions concerning entrepreneurial behavior, and leading to entrepreneurial success. The main emphasis of this thesis is to explore what entrepreneurial commitment is, how it is developed, and whether it can be profiled across entrepreneurial phases, levels of success, race and gender. To allow for a rigorous examination, a blend of two methodologies was utilized – the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Phase 1, and the Component-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) in Phase 2 of this research. In Phase 1, six successful entrepreneurs were interviewed using the phenomenological approach. In this phase, the first research objective was accomplished; a common conceptualization of commitment in the entrepreneur was established. ‘Commitment’ is seen as the force that binds the entrepreneur to his/her tasks and daily responsibilities, and that this ‘force’ affects goal achievement and performance in some way. This finding led to the construction of the conceptual Model of Entrepreneurial Commitment, which was then empirically tested using the CB-SEM approach in Phase 2. A questionnaire, the Entrepreneurial Commitment Metrics, was developed and distributed to entrepreneurs throughout Malaysia. 402 completed sets were returned and findings led to the accomplishment of the remaining three research objectives. This phase concluded with a comprehensive discussion on how entrepreneurial commitment is developed and how it is profiled across entrepreneurial phases, success levels, race and gender. This research holds that entrepreneurial commitment is shaped by the entrepreneur’s affective, normative and continuous commitments and is the force that binds and directs the entrepreneur to perform entrepreneurially. Passion, values and personality form the entrepreneur’s affective commitment, while internalized norms and the feelings of responsibility and righteousness form the entrepreneur’s normative commitment. Lack of alternatives and the magnitude of investments, form the entrepreneur’s continuous commitment. This thesis furthermore illustrates that commitment and motivation are distinct concepts in the entrepreneurial process. Another pioneering and enticing discovery reveals the magnitude of commitment and performance are at their highest in the growth phase of a business, in ‘above average’ successful entrepreneurs, in Chinese entrepreneurs, and in female entrepreneurs. These valuable findings demystify our understanding of entrepreneurial commitment in a Malaysian setting, and may allow for further efforts to nurture entrepreneurial commitment at a national level. The final chapter concludes with highlighted suggestions on these proposed efforts.